The Milwaukee Brewers clinched their second straight postseason berth Wednesday night as they beat the Cincinnati Reds to cap off a historic late-season hot streak.
The Brewers may be playing in October, but a month ago, the Brew Crew’s playoff hopes were looking like anything but reality. Flashback to Aug. 30. The Brewers could only watch as their rival Chicago Cubs celebrated a 5-1 victory over Milwaukee. The Brewers found themselves behind the Cubs by five games for the second wild card spot with just 28 games to go.
Hobbled by injuries and struggling to find their way, the Brewers’ playoff hopes were diminishing by the day.
Milwaukee bounced back and caught fire, winning eight of the next 10 games. Only one game back, there was a spark in the clubhouse. They were inching their way back into the playoff picture.
Suddenly the run was paused when their star outfielder Christian Yelich fouled a pitch off his kneecap. The 2019 National League frontrunner’s season would be cut short by a fractured kneecap.
The Brewers would have to finish this comeback without Yelich. Many thought this was the nail in the coffin for Milwaukee.
However, the Brewers defied the odds. Milwaukee stayed hot, winning 12 of their 14 games without Yelich and capitalizing on a Cubs eight-game losing streak, allowing them to pop celebrate in Cincinnati.
The visitors’ clubhouse was covered with spraying champagne by the Milwaukee ballclub. Yelich was able to be a part of the celebration.
“It has been really, really fun to watch” said Yelich on Fox Sports Wisconsin. “They’ve done a great job. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The Brewers have four games left, and where they will start the postseason is still to be determined. They trail the Washington Nationals for home field advantage in the Wild Card by one game. They are one and a half games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League Central Division lead.
“Tonight, we celebrate, but there’s still a lot to accomplish,” said Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun.
The Brewers will conclude their series against the Reds today at 11:35 a.m. CST. They will finish their regular season this weekend with a three-game stint in Colorado.